Sunday 20 December 2015 15:38, UK
Could Aaron Ramsey's attacking style leave Arsenal exposed against Manchester City on Monday Night Football? We examine an intriguing central midfield battle with the views of Sky Sports pundits Jamie Carragher and Frank Lampard…
Since Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla suffered long-term injuries in the space of a week last month, Aaron Ramsey has taken centre stage for Arsenal. The Welshman gained plenty of plaudits for his all-action performances against Sunderland and Olympiakos, and he was named man-of-the-match for his goalscoring display in Sunday's 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
A run of two goals and two assists in three appearances has eased Arsenal's concerns after losing their favoured central midfielders, but Ramsey faces an altogether tougher test when they face Premier League title rivals Manchester City on Monday.
Ramsey is eyeing a permanent spot in Arsenal's central midfield after moving back from the right flank, but Jamie Carragher feels City could gain an advantage if he does not curb his attacking instincts and provide more support for Mathieu Flamini at the Emirates Stadium.
"I don't think he thinks defensively enough and I think this is why Arsene Wenger at times is worried about playing him there," Carragher said on Monday Night Football. "It's not the end of the world playing him in a midfield two against Aston Villa, but if you can imagine it was Yaya Toure running at that Arsenal defence, that's a problem. That's why I think in big games a lot of managers like those two disciplined players."
Coquelin and Cazorla provided a sturdy platform for the Gunners in their 2-0 win over City at the Etihad Stadium last season, but a central trio of Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Flamini were overrun in a 6-3 defeat in 2013/14, and Carragher feels the Welshman's positioning could be an issue on Monday.
"Every time I see Ramsey and Flamini, one is in front of the other," he said. "It looks like Ramsey is at the tip of a diamond at times, ahead of his midfield partner. I've got nothing against midfield players running forward but at certain times of the game you should be more disciplined. In big games you've got to be more careful.
"I see Ramsey as the next Frank Lampard, the next Steven Gerrard," he added. "This is not a criticism, it's just about the system that they are playing."
Lampard agreed with Carragher's assessment. "I think it will be a problem for Arsenal, it's obviously not Ramsey's natural game," he said. "So now he has to change his game a bit. He has to face Man City and think about the defensive side. I love him as a player, he's very good on the ball, he's very bright. At the moment he has not quite got the discipline to play in a two, but he certainly has the capabilities."
Lampard speaks from a similar experience in his final years at Chelsea, when he had to adapt to accommodate new signings. "It will take something off of his game, but it's something he's going to have to take on himself," he said. "When the game changed around me at Chelsea and we bought Hazard, Oscar and Willian, I understood that I had to take a different role.
"I think Aaron Ramsey now, in his own way, has to see that Ozil is at No 10 and take on a different role. It starts with those small moments of discipline, of positional play and running back a little bit quicker."
Lampard was in Manchester City's starting XI for their 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium last season, when Ramsey failed to track the run of Jesus Navas for Sergio Aguero's opening goal. "The problem there was that he wasn't aware," said Lampard. "I wasn't the quickest, so if I knew someone like Navas was getting going, I'd really be trying to go early to give myself some time.
"Ramsey didn't go at all and then the goal comes. These are the moments against top teams. I remember the game, we hadn't played particularly well in the first half but you switch off for one minute and players like Aguero and Navas will hurt you."
With Toure, Fernandinho and David Silva likely to start in City's central midfield behind an attacking trio of Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero, Ramsey cannot afford the same kind of complacency on Monday.
But while City will proved a stern test of his central midfield credentials, what if he passes it? "I think it could be the making of him," said Lampard. "If he takes on this responsibility he'll get something else to his game, things might develop and he might become a bit more of an all-round midfield player. That will help him in the long run."
Watch Arsenal v Manchester City live on Monday Night Football from 7pm on Sky Sports 1 HD
